Central Khutbah: “The Stations of the Hereafter – A Wake-Up Call for the Hearts of Believers”

Allah, our Lord, has decreed death for all His creatures. It is an unavoidable reality that every human being, without exception, will face. Although death is most often spoken of as loss, pain, and separation, the believer is called to view it more deeply and maturely, aware that nothing Allah decrees is devoid of wisdom, meaning, or purpose. Reflecting on death in the light of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and lived reality makes it clear that, despite its gravity and trial, it also carries important and beneficial messages.

The Most High describes death as a calamity and a trial, saying:
“And if, while traveling through the land, you are struck by the calamity of death…” (Al-Mâ’idah, 106)

Death as the deepest warning

Death is the most sincere counselor to the human being. Reflecting on one’s own departure or witnessing the death of another awakens a dormant conscience, shatters the illusion of permanence, and reminds a person of their true destiny. No one can hope to be exempt from it; death reaches everyone, regardless of strength, status, or wealth.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Death is sufficient as an admonition, and certainty in faith is sufficient as wealth.”
(Al-Bayhaqî, Shu‘ab al-Îmân)

When desires overpower reason and sins become difficult to restrain, the remembrance of death and of the meeting with Allah restores balance and clarity. It is the quietest yet the most powerful sermon: it does not shout, yet it penetrates deeply. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ advised:
“Frequently remember the destroyer of pleasures, that is, death.”
(Reported by At-Tirmidhî, who said the hadith is hasan gharîb.)

From the abode of trial to the abode of reward

This worldly life is a place of effort, responsibility, and struggle against the self. In this world, the believer is required to exercise restraint, control desires, and live within the limits set by Allah. These restrictions, though difficult, have meaning and purpose.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“This world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the disbeliever.”
(Muslim)

For the believer, death means release from that prison, the end of pressures, trials, and inner struggles. Leaving this world marks the beginning of rest and reward. The Prophet ﷺ said when a funeral passed by:
“He has found rest, or others have found rest from him.”
When asked what this meant, he replied:
“The believing servant of Allah finds rest from the hardships and troubles of this world by taking refuge in Allah’s mercy. As for the transgressing servant of Allah, people, the land, the trees, and the animals find rest from him.”
(Al-Bukhârî and Muslim)

Deeds sown in this world bear their fruits in the Hereafter. The Most High says:
“Whoever desires the reward of the Hereafter, We will increase it for him; and whoever desires the reward of this world, We give him of it, but he will have no share in the Hereafter.”
(Ash-Shûrâ, 20)

Meeting the noblest of companions

Death is not only a separation, but also a meeting. After death, the believer joins the noblest company that Allah has chosen for His obedient servants. The Most High says:
“Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has favored: the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous. And what excellent companions they are! That bounty is from Allah, and Allah is sufficient as All-Knowing.”
(An-Nisâ’, 69–70)

Death separates a person from those with whom he shares no common values, and brings him closer to those with whom he shares faith, truth, and purity of heart.

The end of pain, weakness, and bodily humiliation

The cycle of human life begins with weakness, continues with strength, and ends with a return to frailty. When illness, old age, and loss of vigor overtake the body, death becomes a relief and a mercy. The Most High describes this reality, saying:
“It is Allah who created you in weakness; then after weakness He granted strength; then after strength He brings weakness and gray hair. He creates what He wills, and He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.”
(Ar-Rûm, 54)

For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate to be protected from extreme old age (Muslim).

Entering a world of absolute justice

This worldly life is a realm of injustice, inequality, and unsettled accounts. The Hereafter is the realm of perfect and absolute justice, where nothing is forgotten. The Most High says:
“And We shall set up the just balances on the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged in anything. Even if it is the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as Reckoners.”
(Al-Anbiyâ’, 47)

For the believer, death is not an end, but a passage.

(Central khutbah by the religious leader Hafiz Hilmija Redžić on January 9, 2026, at the “Centre Culturel Islamique Nordstad” in Diekirch)